Hyderabad Experiment Offers Lessons For City In Ending Manual Scavenging

Delhi is set to take lessons from Hyderabad in ending the scourge of manual scavenging and move on to mechanical cleaning of drains.

Earlier this year, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB) enabled 31 manual scavengers to purchase specially designed mini-jetting machines, giving employment to 142 more people as drivers and cleaners. The move effectively pulled away about 200 people from the dehumanising work of manual scavenging and also ensured that complaints of blocked drains dropped by more than 80%.

Under immense pressure to take action after nine deaths -related to sewer and drain cleaning -were reported in the city since July , the Delhi government met representatives of the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) last week to seek its help in formulating a project for the capital.

Ravi Kumar Narra, president, DICCI South India, told TOI that they had been asked to study the drainage and sewage situation in Delhi and recommend whether the capital could use the mini-jetting machines developed for Hyderabad or whether a new model would be required.

“We have asked DICCI to
prepare a plan for Delhi under which we can help manual scavengers lead a life of dignity. We should have a plan ready within a month.Meanwhile, we have asked the municipal corporations to identify manual scavengers working in Delhi. The city has 272 wards and at least one machine per ward will be needed. If one person pur
chases the machine and employs three to four others for driving, operation and maintenance, we would be able to
provide employment to over 1,000 people,“ said SCST minister Rajendra Pal Gautam.

The HMWSSB was facing
similar problems that occur in Delhi. The existing jetting machines were too large to enter smaller drains which
then required manual cleaning. Workers were not trained and there was no proper equipment or safety gear provided to them. It then worked out a model under which the special machines were designed and the manual scavengers were encouraged to apply for the tender (to sbuy these machine) -keeping conditions for loans and financing favourable for them. The government then hired these machines from the scavengers.

“Out of 70, 69 machines
were hired from SCST entrepreneurs. Each machine costs Rs 26 lakh and a loan of Rs 20 lakh was secured for the scavengers from banks.The remaining Rs 6 lakh was arranged by the operator but even there they received help in securing loans at a subsidised rate and a further subsidy under the Telangana State Programme for Rapid Incubation of Dalit Entrepreneurs,“ said an official.

Hyderabad has 625 sewer
workers of which 25 men and six women bid successfully for mechanical sweeping of drains using mini jetting machines. “Since the start of this project, not only have we managed to provide respectable employment to manual scavengers, but complaints of blocked sewers have also come down by over 80%. The contractors employed by HMWSSB have entered into an agreement with ` Apna Doorstep' for seamless and quality delivery of services to the board. A smart phone based app has also been provided to the sewerage staff, which they can use to inform the board about sewer and manhole issues as a proactive measure to identify and solve a problem before it becomes a customer grievance,“ said an official.